So Much To Do, So Little Time In Which To Do It

It's been such a busy time lately.

First came the news that Sister Sally - our Cabinet Adviser for Equalities - has been shortlisted as a Labour candidate to replace Three Shags in Hull East when he stands down at the next election. Sister Sally has followed my example and created her own, modest, self-effacing blog entitled: Vote Sally Mulready No. 1 for Hull East, where she has followed the example set by Miranda Grell and published one or two photographs of herself coincidentally in the company of several famous people including the Prime Minister, the Taoiseach, Harriet Harman's husband (unfortunately, Harriet herself was unavailable), Madge Hillside and the Pope. Sally will be standing on a platform of "Less Sex During Working Hours" and, if successful, will create a vacancy in my ward that can be filled by my predecessor as Chief Whip, Peter Watson, who has been hanging around for months now looking for a vacant seat.

Gordon chats to an old wrinkly

Then came a fascinating story about Ray Morrell, Amicus Unity Gazette candidate for the Unite/Amicus NEC, who appears to have got hold of either the mailing list for every Unite/Amicus GC delegate in my region, or the entire regional membership list. Now that is truly shocking. Someone improperly equipped with a regional membership list could totally subvert an election.

Believed lost for 85 years, this photo has only recently come to light

Equally shocking was the announcement that Christine Shawcroft (known as Christine Trotsky in the London Labour Party) has made it onto the shortlist for the parliamentary selection for Nottingham South, having been rejected by at least three CLPs (Reading East, Swindon South, Hackney South where I think she only got two votes out of 550 members) in the run up to 2005. I honestly can't think of anyone less likely to add anything positive to the PLP and more likely to be a wholly destructive factionalist rebel. In 2006 I said of her candidature for the NEC: "...if I had my way [she] wouldn't even be in the party let alone on its NEC". It will be an interesting challenge, the seat having been held by Alan Simpson since 1992 and being the only one in the area likely to be won by the Tories at the next election. So let's hope to God that Trotsky isn't selected, as I might have to go and canvass for her.

So, with all this going on and me having dashed up to Birmingham for the Invisible Spring Conference, it's no wonder I missed the big event of the weekend - the Town Hall Square rehearsal for the Mayor's forthcoming "Save Our Local Post Offices" parade. So it's thanks to Arthur Raffles for sending me the photo, though you must put the Brownie up for Cash In The Attic, Arthur, and get yourself a modern digital compact. Perhaps Bunny can steal one for you.

Breaking news: It appears that Christine Shawcroft's name has been airbrushed off the parliamentary panel list. Police are looking for someone named J. Stalin (aka. Mr. Bean) in connection with the incident.